The General (1927)

4.0

COMEDY
U.S. Release Date: 02/05/27
Running Length: 75 Minutes
MPAA Classification: No Rating
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1:33:1

Cast: Buster Keaton
Director: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton
Screenplay: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton (based on the writings by William Pittenger)
Cinematography: Bert Haines, Dev Jennings
U.S. Distributor: United Artists

Review by: Carter Moulton

04/05/09

I get a headache from the convolutedness of today. The noisy traffic, the constant juggling of responsibilities, the awkward social drama and, worst of all, the lack of slapstick comedy. If you feel like I do, the most sensible option is to pop in a silent film, where slapstick is essentially the only option. Well what if you don’t know much about silent films?

Here’s a beginners guide: watch Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Buster Keaton—the three major minds of innovation during the silent era. Chaplin’s City Lights and Lloyd’s Safety Last! are good places to start, as is Keaton’s The General. When you watch these classic silent comedies, especially Lloyd’s and Keaton’s, they find a way to turn humor into suspense. Whether it’s Lloyd climbing a skyscraper and hanging from a clock or Keaton dangling from a rapidly moving train, the tension builds and builds—and that tension, in my opinion, is directly linked with the hilariousity of these films. When a gag is thrown in at the right place, our floodgates are opened, and out rushes all of our built up tension. In the form of laughter.

The General takes place amidst the Civil War, and features Keaton as Johnnie Gray, an engineer with two loves: his train (“The General”) and his girl. The latter is Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), who demands her admirer to enlist with the confederacy before making any moves of courtship. Johnnie tries to enlist, but is denied because of his valuable occupation. The Union steals Johnnie’s train with Annabelle still on board, so it’s up to Johnnie to reclaim his two loves.

Keaton co-directed and co-wrote the movie, as he did with most of his works, and his vision from behind the camera is equal to our vision of him in front of it. The straightforwardness of the story is refreshing, allowing us to sit back and watch the sight-gags unfold. The visuals are still eye-widening today—look for a scene where a bridge collapses and an entire train is shown plummeting into the water far below.

Silent comedies seem to stand the test of time a little better than other silent genres, and The General is no exception—the contemporary soundtrack attached to my copy may have helped. The bits with the cannon are hilarious and will always be. Keaton is charming as Johnnie, whose simplicity is fully demonstrated in the final scene, a scene that perfectly encapsulates The General’s purpose: to entertain and create a smile. The General is a perfect example of filmmaking done right by leaning on the visions of its creators; not the outside influences of the industry.